


Inside This Place Is Warm (Outside It Starts To Pour)

by SeventhStrife



Series: AUideas Advent Calendar: 2016 [6]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Blizzards & Snowstorms, College, Fainting, Gen, M/M, Sephiroth is Determined
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 08:54:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8838325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeventhStrife/pseuds/SeventhStrife
Summary: “Frozen in their Boots” AU   
  
  Character B failed to receive the notification that their exam had been postponed due to weather conditions, so they waited outside their class’ building for what seemed like hours. After peaking out their window, Character A sees Character B (another student in their class) pacing in circles until they suddenly freeze in place and collapse.


A snowstorm catches two students by surprise.





	

Sephiroth was sitting in his car, glaring at the building that housed the Magic department. At least, what he could see of it through the snow.

Fifteen minutes had passed, yet there had been no sign of his instructor to unlock the door and allow him to take his exam. Nor was there any sign of his classmates.

Well, except one.

A dark blur manifested in the white for a moment, a figure with their hooded head angled down, shoulders hunched in a black coat. A gust of wind brought with it a heavy wall of snow, and the figure disappeared.

Sephiroth couldn’t tell who it was, other than the person was most likely male and apparently was invulnerable to snow. Not that he would have been able to identify who the person was even if he _could_ see his face. Sephiroth didn’t exactly make a point to learn his classmates names.

Still, he had to admit that whoever he was was at least taking the exam as seriously as Sephiroth. He didn’t even have the luxury of waiting in a heated car. He appeared in the storm walking up the steps and had been pacing in circles ever since, no doubt in an attempt to generate some body heat. Sephiroth felt minutely guilty to be sitting so warm while someone feet from him froze, but he also wasn’t inclined to share his space on a good day with a stranger, even less so when he was agitated, cold, and disinclined to share such tight quarters with someone he knew nothing about, who would probably tell his friends and all _their_ friends about him. Why Sephiroth was such a ripe target for gossip, he couldn’t fathom, but it was decidedly annoying.

In any case, this was supposed to be his last exam before the term ended, and his professor’s tardiness was ruining his plans to spend the rest of the break in his apartment, avoiding the outside world and its unforgivable cold. Technically speaking, fifteen minutes _had_ passed without his professor appearing. _Technically,_ Sephiroth could simply leave without suffering any sort of penalty.

But even on the rare occasion when such a phenomenon had come to pass, Sephiroth always stayed until the instructor arrived. It seemed a waste of time to make the drive to the university only to sit in a hard plastic chair for fifteen minutes. Plus, Sephiroth _enjoyed_ his education. He never missed a class.

Even so, when fifteen minutes came to be twenty, and then twenty-five, without even a hint of another soul to join their sad gathering, Sephiroth began to grudgingly admit that his spotless record was about to receive its first blemish.

Casting the dark, pacing figure a curious glance mostly to see if he was still there, Sephiroth fished his seldom-used phone from his coat’s pocket and decided to at least review some of his mail.

It was then that he saw it. A group email from his professor, _canceling the class_ due to severe weather conditions. It was sent an hour before Sephiroth had walked out his door.

Sephiroth for a moment was so consumed with anger he thought he might break his phone in half. Of all the _foolish, idiotic_ mistakes to make… Sephiroth wanted to smash his head against something, black out, and lose any memory of this entire situation.

If he’d only checked his phone _before_ he left, he could have saved himself so much trouble…

Resigned, yet no less frustrated with himself, Sephiroth resolved to go home and wait to hear from his instructor what day the exam would be scheduled on.

He stowed away his phone, reached for his gear stick, and caught that flash of black in a sea of white.

Sephiroth stilled, torn. He had completely forgotten about the other student, someone who, like him, apparently didn’t check their mail before they sat out that morning.

He supposed he _should_ let the other know, especially since he was enduring a snow storm. He felt a spike of distaste for having to brave the icy wind to get close enough to be heard, but there was nothing for it. Sephiroth enjoyed his solitude but he wasn’t cruel.

Sephiroth left his car running and pulled his scarf over his nose as he swung the door open and stepped out, instantly assaulted by harsh, cruel wind and mercilessly biting snow. He slammed his door shut to preserve the heat within, turned to the building, and only just caught the sight of the figure stilling oddly, swaying, and then crumbling into a heap.

Sephiroth was there in an instant, heart in his throat. He quickly knelt, heedless of the snow, and carefully turned the collapsed figure onto his back.

For a moment, Sephiroth was unsure if the person was male or female. The features were smooth, almost delicate, with gold lashes dusting pale cheeks. But despite the weather, he wasn’t wearing a scarf and Sephiroth could see his Adam's apple.

Sephiroth reached over, feeling for a pulse as he spoke. “Can you hear me? Can you stand?”

Nothing. Not even a flutter of movement beneath those eyelids.

Resolved, Sephiroth easily scooped up the slight figure and brought him to his car. He clearly needed medical attention, and the least he could do was take this person to the hospital. Sephiroth regretted his isolated nature, that prevented him from offering a temporary respite from the cold. This could have been easily avoided.

After a brief mental debate, Sephiroth gently lowered and fastened the man in his passenger seat, so that he could have a seat belt and be easier to retrieve once he reached his destination. He reclined the seat slightly so that he would be too jostled, then quickly jogged over to the driver’s side and fasted himself in.

He gave the passenger side a worried glance, then pulled his car out of the lot.

Barely into a minute of driving, and Sephiroth knew his plan wasn’t going to work. Sheets of snow continued to fall relentless and despite the fact that Sephiroth was going _twenty_ miles under the speed limit, his car still slid jarringly over the black ice the snow concealed. Visibility was also dangerously low and he was forced to concede that attempting to drive nearly twenty miles to the hospital wouldn’t be unlike signing both of their death warrants.

His _home,_ however, was only two miles away. And it was warm, had food and a bed, and he kept a basic first aid kit.

Sephiroth sighed and took his exit. At least until the snow cleared, it would have to do.

Luckily, Sephiroth’s apartment was on the bottom level, so there was no need to worry over iced over steps. He left his guest in the car to unlock his door and prop it open, and came back for the man.

After another moment of hesitation, Sephiroth ceded his bed since the couch wide or long enough to fit a full-grown man lying across the length of it. He set his charge on top of the blankets, head slightly reclined on a pillow, and promptly floundered.

Sephiroth had never taken care of another human being in his life. He’d never caught so much of a head-cold himself. What did he do?

He wasted a long moment wishing Angeal were here, then forced the thought away. Angeal was no doubt cloistered in at his home as well, waiting out the storm. Unless Sephiroth truly felt out of his debt, he wouldn’t risk his friend driving in these conditions.

Sephiroth eventually decided to research what to do online, on his laptop. From what he could tell, the man had fainted, so he searched that.

He instantly found a link titled _Fainting Treatment: First Aid & Emergencies. _

The page opened up and the first item was bolded in red and had big print.

**CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES IF THE PERSON:**

 

  * __Has blue lips or face__


  * _An irregular or slow heartbeat_


  * _Chest pain_


  * _Difficulty breathing_


  * _Is difficult to awaken_


  * _Acts confused_



 

Mouth thinning, Sephiroth addressed those issues first. He could see right away that there was no hint of blue on the man’s features, with was a relief. Feeling uncomfortable touch someone while they were unconscious but lacking any other choice, Sephiroth unzipped the black coat and revealed a black-clad chest. He pressed his palm over his heart, the other to press two fingers against the pulse in his wrist, and determined his heartbeat to be normal.

His breathing seemed fine, slow and even, but for the other points he would need the man awaked.

Sephiroth gripped his shoulders and gently shook. “Hello? Can you hear me?”

This time, the pale lashes shivered. They slowly peeled open to reveal a sliver of blue eyeing the ceiling, gaze widely unfocused.

_“Ugh.”_ The eyes squeezed shut, then blinked rapidly. “What…?”

Sephiroth frowned. Was this the normal confusion of someone waking up in unknown surrounding, or something brought on by a concussion?

“You collapsed outside of the school.” The other started, lurching up, but caught himself. He pressed a hand to his forehead, grimacing and swallowed once.

“Ow...okay, okay,” He huffed out a frustrated breath. “Damn. I missed my exam.”

“It was canceled.” Blue eyes flicked to Sephiroth.

“Of course it was.”

“Do you feel any chest pain?”

“What? Uh, no.”

Sephiroth nodded and rose. “One moment.”

Back at his laptop, Sephiroth scrolled down to see what his next step should be.

**Make the Person Safe.**

 

  * __Lay the person flat on their back.__



 

Sephiroth grimaced. The man was already somewhat upright, and Sephiroth wasn’t inclined to march back in there and force him back down. He decided to skip that step.

 

  * __Elevate the person’s legs to restore blood flow to the brain.__


  * _Loosen tight clothing._



 

Again, all of that was impossible for Sephiroth while the person in question was upright and conscious. He scrolled further.

**Try to Revive the Person.**

Already done. Sephiroth scrolled.

**Home Care for Simple Fainting.**

 

  * __If the person is alert, give fruit juice, especially if the person has not eaten in more than six hours or has diabetes.__


  * _Stay with the person until they have recovered._



 

Below that were suggested action if the person’s condition deteriorated, and nothing Sephiroth thought he would need.

Sephiroth didn’t drink juice, so he had none to offer. He prepared a tall glass of water instead.

When Sephiroth entered, the other had swung his legs over to rest on the floor, and he looked up at his entry.

“Who are you?”

Sephiroth paused, surprised. Even when he hadn’t spoken a word to them, he was used to people just... _knowing_ who he was. The novelty of someone not knowing was actually quite refreshing.

“My name is Sephiroth. We attend the same Applied Magics class.”

“Oh.” The other looked away, frowning as he absently rubbed his hands together. Belatedly, Sephiroth realized he was still cold.

“I brought you this.” Sephiroth offered the water and with widening eyes, the man took it.

“Thank you,” he said, voice soft.

“Would you like a change of clothes? You must be chilled.”

He received a confused look for his offer, as if he couldn’t understand why Sephiroth would offer despite having opened up his home.

“Uh, no...thank you.” He shivered then, betrayed by his body. “But...I wouldn’t mind an extra blanket? If you have one.”

“Certainly.”

Sephiroth made to leave, but found the other had risen as well. Nothing in the instructions said he had to be confined to the bed, so Sephiroth allowed him to follow him out.

His apartment was small but immaculate, and his classmate passed him while he detoured to the linen closet. Sephiroth found him sitting on the couch, gratefulness cracking his blank expression when Sephiroth offered him his most indulgently soft blanket, a gift from Angeal several years prior.

A hand came up and lowered the hood, revealing spiky blond hair that should have looked ridiculous, but instead oddly suited the man. He quickly wrapped the blanket around himself, shivered once, then relaxed. He gave Sephiroth a small smile of appreciation.

“Thanks.” Sephiroth nodded. “Cloud, by the way. I’m Cloud.”

“It is nice to meet you, Cloud. I wish the circumstances had been better.”

The lips twitched into something wry. “You and me both.” Cloud looked away then, to the window. “Sorry for all this trouble. I can get out of your hair in a minute. Figured I should wait until I can feel my toes first.”

Sephiroth walked over to the nearest window and pulled the curtain aside wide for Cloud to see. His blue eyes widened to see all that snow, so thick he could hardly see a foot outside.

“I’m afraid that won’t be happening for a long while. The roads are dangerous right now and the blizzard has picked up. Classes were canceled for this exact reason, and I can’t in good conscious send you out there when I’ve just seen you faint.”

“I’d be all right.”

“I’d still rather you didn’t.” Cloud didn’t say anything, merely pointed narrowed eyes out the window. He seemed to be considering his options.

“When was the last time you ate?”

The question was a successful distraction and Cloud pulled his gaze away from the window.

“Um. I’m not sure...yesterday?”

“I’m not much of a cook, but I have leftover pizza from two nights ago that a friend left.”

“Oh, no, that’s not—”

“You would be helping me by eating it. I don’t indulge in take out often and I would rather not waste it.”

Cloud shifted, gaze darting around.

“I...guess I could then. To help.”

“To help,” Sephiroth agreed.

Later, when Cloud was eating, Sephiroth took the time to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that came over him. Never taken care of another person a day in his life, but there was Cloud, color returning to his cheeks, Sephiroth’s blanket over his shoulder, Sephiroth’s food filling his stomach.

He’d done a very good job. He would enjoy rubbing this day in Angeal’s face, if for no other reason than to disprove the man’s theory that Sephiroth couldn’t help someone out of a wet paper bag, his social skills were so abysmal.

Not wanting to be caught staring, especially with such a smug look on his face, Sephiroth turned on the TV, where it was already on the local news channel.

Silently they both watched and Cloud paused before his next bite.

“That’s a big storm,” he said. He gave the window a worried glance.

Sephiroth nodded. “Nine inches. That will take some time to clear.”

Sephiroth noticed Cloud’s clenched fists. “I can’t stay here that long. I have a job—”

“You’ll have to call in, assuming they expect you to show up at all.”

Cloud glared at Sephiroth, who in turn received it passively. He suspected Cloud’s frustration lay with himself, so didn’t take it personally.

After a moment, Cloud dropped the look with a sigh, setting his pizza back on his plate.

“Sorry. I know it’s not your fault. I just hate being an inconvenience.”

“Nonsense. I saw you outside from my car and should have offered for you to wait with me. I’m grateful to do what I can.”

Cloud blinked. “Er—okay…It’s not like I blame you. I probably would have done the same.”

“I suspect not.”

A raised brow. “Why’s that? You don’t know me.”

“I know enough. You’ve been nothing but polite since you’ve been here. You don’t seem the type to turn a blind eye to someone in need.”

Cloud’s cheeks reddened and he looked away. “Are you a psychology major?”

“Physics.”

“Hm.”

“And you?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’m taking a little bit of everything. Do you like your major?”

“It’s interesting. Stimulating. I don’t waste my time on things that are not.”

“Ah.” Cloud gave Sephiroth a smirk, a small, sly one. “Am _I_ wasting your time?”

Sephiroth gave Cloud a look, but determined he was merely being teased and the question wasn’t asked out of any genuine sense that Sephiroth had given that impression.

“You are proving to be an adequate method of passing the time.”

“Adequate. Ouch.”

Sephiroth shrugged. “I was also able to brush up on my first aid skills.” In truth, Cloud was also helping Sephiroth flex his more social muscles, ones he hadn’t put into practice in years outside of his very small circle of friends. It was rare for him to find someone so easy to talk to, even with their unorthodox meeting, and Sephiroth was actually enjoying his company. Sephiroth didn’t know much about the man, but he was determined that before the snow allowed Cloud back to his home, he would gain a new friend. “Thank you, Cloud.”

Cloud looked amused, but utterly ignorant of the resolve that had settled over Sephiroth like a well-word shroud. “Happy to help.”

**Author's Note:**

> Man, these are all so riddled with mistakes. I just don't have TIME to edit, so sorry about that. Also, yet another story that had to end suddenly because I have work and I need to meet the deadline. Oh, well, maybe I can come back to it.
> 
> First Aid [here](http://www.webmd.com/first-aid/fainting-treatment).
> 
> Title is from [Sweater Weather](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCdwKhTtNNw).


End file.
